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Petko Staynov was born on December 1, 1896 in the town of Kazanluk,
in the family of Gruyu and Anka Staynov. His grandfather’s woolen
braiding shop becomes one of the most modern woolen textile factories
in the town. His visits to his maternal grandfather’s farm in Ovoshtnik
played an outstanding role in his ife. There, he grows up in the
open, close to nature, in the fragrant meadows, near the majestic
forms of the Balkan Mountain. This is where he is touched by the
unique beauty of folk songs and dances. |
At the age of 10, Petko Staynov loses his eyesight (after an accident)
and must part with Kazanluk and Ovoshtnik. In 1906, he enrolls in
the Institute for the Blind in Sofia. Thnks to his phenomenal memory
and willpower, his is able to overcome his disability, enters the
world of music and devotes himself entirely to it. He studies the
flute with Dimitar Hadjigeorgiev, the violine, with Schwartner,
and harmony with. In 1912, Petko Staynov begins studying the piano
with Mila Buchvarova and, later, with the prominent pianist Andrey
Stoyanov, who introduced him to the classical West-European art.
He takes an active part in the work of the Institute’s orchestra
and choir under the leadership of Mihail Shekerdjiev and Nikola
Stefanov. On graduation from the Insitute, he masters the Braille’s
alphabet and the musical notation for the blind and uses them later
throughout his life. |
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